Indian Navy takes the lead

While the Indian Navy has been given the mandate to take any steps necessary, including sinking pirate ships if fired upon first, for securing Indian vessels, things get a little murky when it comes to foreign registered ships that have Indian sailors onboard.

“Our mandate is the protection of Indian registered merchant ships. Our warships have been given the role of guiding Indian ships through the waters and responding to distress calls. If time permits, we can also assist ships from other countries. However, we cannot take action when a foreign registered ship with an Indian crew onboard is attacked, unless we are specifically asked for help,” the naval officer said.

As in the case of the Stolt Valor, unless the ship owners and the parent country directly request India for help, the navy cannot move in to protect Indian citizens at sea. In many cases, navy officers say, the owners do not report hijacking attempts to ensure that their insurance premiums stay low. The navy believes that a clearer mandate from the United Nations is required to take on piracy more effectively.

Analysts say that by taking a leading role in the protection of sea trade in the Gulf of Aden, an entry point to the Indian Ocean that the navy considers its personal security responsibility, India has firmed up its image as the main naval power of the region. “The recent operations have shown that we have truly emerged as a blue water navy with the capability of carrying out operations far away from the main land,” said a naval strategist.

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